Support the Golan Family’s Road to Recovery ❤️‍

Dear friends and community members,

In the midst of many fundraisers, I'd wish to share a deeply personal one. This concerns my close friend, Ellay, a dedicated and exceptional young medical doctor, her husband Ariel is a social worker, and their beloved 1.5-year-old daughter, Yaeli. They are residents of Kibbutz Kfar Aza, and they are currently facing an unimaginable situation.

On Saturday, October 7th, their peaceful sleep was abruptly disturbed by the sound of missiles. With their hearts racing, they sought refuge in their safe room, all the while hearing gunfire in the distance. The kibbutz's WhatsApp group quickly filled with distressing messages about a potential terrorist invasion. From within the confines of their safe room, they could hear unfamiliar voices speaking Arabic outside their door. The intruders tried to break in to the safe room and Ariel, Ellay's husband, successfully held the door shut against them to protect his family.

After some time, they began to smell smoke and realized that the terrorists, unable to breach the safe room, had set their house on fire in a desperate attempt to harm them. They knew they had to escape immediately to avoid being burned alive or succumbing to smoke inhalation. Understanding that this may be the end for them, they sent goodbye messages to their loved ones.

In a remarkable display of courage, Ellay and Ariel managed to escape their burning home while shielding their precious daughter from the flames by nestling her between them. After emerging from their home badly burned, they ran towards the kibbutz entrance, amid dozens of lifeless bodies of their fellow kibbutz members. By a stroke of luck, a helicopter carrying two injured soldiers had only just departed and the pilot was still close enough to land again and rescue them. The medical professionals who cared for them on the helicopter marveled at Ellay's unwavering maternal instincts as she continued to monitor her beloved daughter's vital signs and provided guidance for her treatment despite suffering severe burns on 60-70% of her body. When they finally arrived at Sheba-Tel Hashomer's emergency room, Ellay still held Yaeli in her arms, a testament to a mother's boundless love and determination.

Now, Ellay, Ariel, and Yaeli are in intensive care units, sedated and connected to ventilators, bearing both physical and emotional scars from the horrific events that consumed their home and community. Rebuilding their lives will be difficult as they face an extended hospitalization (months long) and a challenging recovery ahead.

We humbly ask for your help. Your contributions will have a profound impact in supporting this family as they endeavor to rebuild their lives. Your generosity will go towards reconstructing their home, securing an alternative residence, covering the expenses of necessary surgeries, providing psychological support, and meeting the various medical needs they will urgently require in the coming months.

No donation is too small, and every contribution is genuinely appreciated. In these horrifying unimaginable times, our community has the opportunity and privilege to come together and offer a helping hand to those in need. Let's unite, bound by our shared humanity, and stand by Ellay, Ariel, and little Yaeli as they embark on their journey to recovery.

Thank you

*Evyatar (Ellay’s brother) is assisting in supporting the fundraiser while the family is hospitalized.